Auction vs BIN

[akaSteveRogers]

Quite a few boardies have been in the game for quite sometime. You have probably seen quite a few rants on crazy BIN prices or shilled auctions. But if you take a step back and really examine your purchases throughout the years, if you had to go with one format, which would it be?

 

Auction or Buy It Now? Why?

 

Im not looking for a poll, but real insight on why you think one is better over the other.

[N/A]

From a buyer's point of view?

[passion4comics]

BIN usually have a price so high the book will sit until the Sun consumes the earth. I have found reasonable BIN sellers, but most think coming down $100 off a $5000 book they have listed for $9000 is reasonable. Be prepared to let them pass unless it's something you have to have. I've done BIN as a buyer and paid top dollar way above GPA. If you want the book or there is something special about that copy then go for it.

 

Auctions are what they are. You set the price you're willing to spend and be prepared to let it go. If you get a second chance offer, chances are it was shilled and you are paying top dollar. I use a snipe program because getting caught up in a competitive auction can end badly. Sometimes you do get a deal. Sometimes you get stomped.

 

It's a question with a 50/50 answer.

 

From a sellers point of view BIN is the only way to sell. I've took hits in the thousands on one book using an auction. The hell with that.

[budsbundy]

I snipe auctions

 

I have bought a few bins, but they are usually stuff that was listed at or below a fair price, and had only been up less than an hour and I found by searching newly listed.

 

Those are two categories I check when I'm on Ebay, ending soonest, and newly listed.

 

 

[faster friends]

You will lose your azz with auctions. Do a buy it now with a make a best offer option.

[jimjum12]

I snipe auctions

 

I have bought a few bins, but they are usually stuff that was listed at or below a fair price, and had only been up less than an hour and I found by searching newly listed.

 

Those are two categories I check when I'm on Ebay, ending soonest, and newly listed.

 

 

.... this sounds like my approach as well. I wish I could provide a simple concrete answer to the question, but there's really no easy way around "beating the bushes". I know this sounds like a cop-out, but it also depends on the book. Most of us have at least one book that we'd go way outside our comfort zone for, whether BIN or at auction ...... it's the collector in us. I have a few books that I will NEVER get my investment out of, yet those are some my favorites in most cases. What price contentment GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[kav]

You will lose your azz with auctions. Do a buy it now with a make a best offer option.

Depends on the item. If it's AF15 or some in demand book you will not lose your azz. If its some random Avengers book or a lot you might.

 

I've also had the reverse happen where an auction went for much more than I would have had it for BIN.

[rsouxlja7]

I prefer buy it now with the immediate payment option required. No more having a week long auction then waiting around for a buyer to either pay up or decide they don't want it anymore.

[akaSteveRogers]

From a buyer's point of view?

 

Primarily, yes.

 

But I wouldn't mind the point-of-view of a dealer or high volume seller on why prefer to list one way or the other on an auction site.

[kav]

If it's things people are always looking for I prefer to list auction

If it's an oddball or not that sought after then I prefer BIN

Like if it's a lot of Kirby Thor I'd do auction

If it's a lot of Two Gun Kid I'd do BIN

[slym2none]

Auctions - great for the buyer, terrible for the seller

BINs - great for the seller, can go either way for the buyer

 

 

 

-slym

[lhcomics]

I have recently increased my eBay fixed price listing from 80 a couple months ago to currently over 800 after I signed up for an eBay store that gives me 500 listings a month.

 

Here is my plan. I elected on probably 90% not to list best offer so I'm not constantly fielding offers then counter offering. I have priced most items at Overstreet guide or if market is above guide I start at that price.

 

We all know Overstreet is so wrong on common books in common grades but I get lucky and probably sell 3-5 items a day.

 

Now that I'm at my max listings I want on ebay I will start the discounts! I just started a discount last week at 8%. When it ends I will jump to 15% then 20%/25% etc. until I unload hopefully 80% of the stuff.

 

Once I get back down under 100 listings I'll have another 700 - 1000 items ready to list again and start the cycle again.

 

It's the plan anyway.

 

I do run auctions at times but unless you have key comics expect to take a beating. Auctions will of course help draw people to your fixed price stuff.

 

Here is my eBay stuff!

 

Leroy

[shadroch]

I rarely even look at BINs.

[fastballspecial]

From a buyer's point of view?

 

Great point (thumbs u

[fastballspecial]

This will eventually start big arguments, but when you break it down it comes down to this.

 

Buyer love auctions. They love to snipe, they love to buy cheap. They love the rush of bidding at the last second. Buyers are more likely to gamble on a dicey seller because they got the book cheap. Sometimes it works out great other times the book gets beat to hell because they seller cant pack.

 

Any decent long time seller will flat out tell you BIN/BO is the best way to go.

There are times on hot books that an auction works better, but overall by far auctions are a lost for sellers.

 

I can name about 10 sellers that can consistently do auctions and make good money at it. These sellers are well established and have a huge clientele that follow their auctions. Zilaf is probably the 1st one that comes to mind.

 

 

 

[akaSteveRogers]

Buyer love auctions. They love to snipe, they love to buy cheap. They love the rush of bidding at the last second. Buyers are more likely to gamble on a dicey seller because they got the book cheap. Sometimes it works out great other times the book gets beat to hell because they seller cant pack.

 

 

There is indeed a rush when sniping or bidding at the last few minutes of an auction. Especially a book that you have been searching for quite sometime.

 

But do you think think the psychology behind the snipe is simply the rush? Or do you think there are some that simply don't like to "show their cards early?"

 

You are simply placing your max bid...but at the last minute. What about auction that extend at last-second bids?

[kav]

I snipe because I get books way cheaper that way. If I show my cards other buyers get a chance to ponder then outbid me.

[Doktor]

I snipe all the time. 99% of the time, I win (though I did go thru a rough patch of losing 3 auctions in a row a few months back) & I win for a lot lower than FMV most of the time.

 

Though it is sometimes satisfactory to drop a bid, walk away & then wake up to find out I won something. Did that with a few pressman X-Men variants a while back & another obscure rare variant X-book.

[jcjames]

 

As a buyer, auction.

 

As a seller, BIN.

 

 

[akaSteveRogers]

I have recently increased my eBay fixed price listing from 80 a couple months ago to currently over 800 after I signed up for an eBay store that gives me 500 listings a month.

 

Here is my plan. I elected on probably 90% not to list best offer so I'm not constantly fielding offers then counter offering. I have priced most items at Overstreet guide or if market is above guide I start at that price.

 

We all know Overstreet is so wrong on common books in common grades but I get lucky and probably sell 3-5 items a day.

 

Now that I'm at my max listings I want on ebay I will start the discounts! I just started a discount last week at 8%. When it ends I will jump to 15% then 20%/25% etc. until I unload hopefully 80% of the stuff.

 

Once I get back down under 100 listings I'll have another 700 - 1000 items ready to list again and start the cycle again.

 

It's the plan anyway.

 

I do run auctions at times but unless you have key comics expect to take a beating. Auctions will of course help draw people to your fixed price stuff.

 

Here is my eBay stuff!

 

Leroy

 

Interesting strategy...